No questions, please; Palin sticks to her script

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

John McCain took a risk in picking little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate, but now the campaign's playing it safer. She's sticking to a greatest hits version of her convention speech on the campaign trail and steering clear of questions until she's comfortable enough for a hand-picked interviewer later this week.

More than 40 million people tuned in last week to listen to the speech from Palin, the 44-year-old first-term governor whom McCain announced as his surprise vice presidential pick just days before. Since then, that basic script is all anyone has heard from her publicly, and her only interaction with the media was a brief conversation with a small group of reporters on her plane Monday — off the record at her handlers' insistence.

Associated Press reporters were not on the plane, but an aide told the journalists on board that all Palin flights would be off the record unless the media were told otherwise. At least one reporter objected. Two people on the flight said the Palins greeted the media and they chatted about who had been to Alaska, but little else was said.

... But none of the candidates in this race has been so shielded from the media, so protected from any spontaneous situation, and Palin's unvarying remarks give the impression that she and her message are being tightly controlled. As before her convention speech, McCain's campaign is briefing Palin for her first TV interview.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/09/09/politics/p125635D64.DTL&tsp=1

[kurth_]

1. Still wearing the TRAINEE tag

"I have to ask my manager"

[and-justice-for-all]

2. That is very telling of her capabilities....

or lack there of.

[firedupdem]

3. do you really think she'll be allowed to debate biden? n/t

[superconnected]

5. Nope. I don't believe she'll go against Biden. Not at all.

[CoffeeCat]

21. How can she get out of it?

She can't.

Like David Gergen said tonight on CNN, "Either you're ready for the
big leagues, or you're not."

This is really an asinine ploy, by the McCain camp. She's hiding and "off
the record" and it looks ridiculous.

This is a potential VP, and possible President of the United States, and she's
not ready to be quoted by the media?

Geez. Crazy insane.

[FirstLight]

24. I think that there will be "something" to get her out of it

...for those who speculate that her daughter isn't pregers, the "miscarriage" will happen and the debate will be "postponed"...

then she'd get the sympathy vote and biden's awesomeness will not be seen my millions

Because we all know he would chew her up and spit her out the window!

[jmowreader]

7. Although the question really doesn't need to be answered, I will anyway

The only way they'll possibly allow her to debate Biden is if no one but the moderator is allowed to ask questions, and if Palin's camp is given advance access to the questions both she and Biden will be asked.

Now, if I was setting the debate up, not only would I make sure Palin didn't even know the name of the moderator before the event (I can think of a few who'd be really good--Jimmy Kimmel and Lee Ermey spring to mind--but I'd probably play it safe and just get Keith Olbermann) I'd make sure to add to the rules that the candidates are not allowed to wear their hair over their ears or any earrings, because it's just too easy to conceal a wireless receiver.

[ryanmuegge]

11. You're right. They'll demand the questions in advance. It'll be a situation just like

the one with that fat, donut-eating preacher crook during that lame-ass religious forum.

This whole race is fucking bullshit.

[Roy]

30. Didn't Brokaw drag this debate? It's either he or Gwen Ifill

The moderators were announced, but I forget the order.

[superconnected]

31. Right, her 50's beehive hairstyle could be bugged. That is funny.

but true.

And that is a bad hairstyle. Those didn't last long for a reason.

[Miss Chybil]

8. David Gergen said the debates are not as hard as they may appear.

He said, at least, 90% of the questions can be anticipated and the candidates are coached for days on how to answer them. She's good at repeating things. Maybe, she'll be "too" prepared and will come off stale against Biden's actual knowledge and passion. We shall see...

[ryanmuegge]

12. Oh, she'll "win" the debates. The press will spin it that way, just like they spun her fucking lame

speech as a "homerun." Of course, people who are allegedly from our side didn't help much by saying the same fucking thing as the right-wing pundits (Lionel comes to mind).

[fascisthunter]

4. Yes.... no public Scrutiny. Americans Don't Need to Know Who They are Voting for...

[Frisbee]

6. It takes a lot of balls...

to tell the public that they should put someone who can't even answer a few questions from the press one 72 year old heartbeat from the White House. It seems all we need to know is she's purdy. Oh, and she was against the bridge. I guess they figure guys will think with their dicks and women will vote for anyone in a skirt.

[ryanmuegge]

9. GET THIS IN THE FUCKING TELEVISION PRESS. Jesus Christ. This is a fucking travesty.

That this stupid bitch won't answer questions from the fucking media is a crime against democracy.

[MadrasT]

10. This is the weirdest presidential race ever. n/t

[Tutonic]

13. Can we please get Bill Clinton on the trail to dispel her lies?

[Poseidan]

14. Toobin

I saw his interview on Bill Maher. When asked about the possibility of Palin faking pregnancy to hide her teenage daughter's child, Toobin said he would 'take her on her word'. Is that the job of a journalist? To believe government officials, like the press believed Bush about Iraq/911/WMD's? Disturbing, to say the least.

[MadMaddie]

15. I had a problem with it too. Especially since she hasn't

produced a birth certificate to dispell any questions. If she had one this story would go away.

Welcome to DU!:hi:

[EndElectoral]

18. "Take her on her word"...and therein lies the problem with the MSM

[Trillo]

16. Bush: "I do not need to explain why I say things ...

Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don’t feel like I owe anybody an explanation."

---

Since I couldn't remember the quote exactly, I looked it up, found it here: http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/001556.html

[Thor_MN]

17. Look for her hair to start migrating over her ears.

She will have a new 'do if she ever gets turned loose to questions or debates. It will neatly cover her ears, so we can't see her new hearing aides. If spotted, she will have suddenly developed a hearing problem, doubtless due to her unending target practice.

[Imagevision]

19. Upcoming Gibson interview with Palin will be after she's handed the script of questions

[struggle4progress]

20. "I just say what they tell me to say" *bats eyes*

[gratuitous]

22. "One reporter objected"

After the reporter was escorted off the plane at 25,000 feet, the rest of them fell in line and did as they were told.

[baconbits5]

23. Palin is hot...

...but she still sucks.

[kurth_]

25. Maybe she should learn to swallow

considering prophylactics are against the Palin religion.

[deacon]

26. No questions, please; Palin sticks to her script

Source: AP

LEBANON, Ohio - John McCain took a risk in picking little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate, but now the campaign's playing it safer. She's sticking to a greatest hits version of her convention speech on the campaign trail and steering clear of questions until she's comfortable enough for a hand-picked interviewer later this week.

snip

So far, Palin has barely spoken with voters either. Since the convention, she and McCain have breezed through a Wisconsin ice cream shop, a New Mexico restaurant and a Missouri barbecue place, shaking hands with diners but not taking any questions. Photographers and television cameras have been allowed full view while reporters are typically kept too far away to ask questions or hear most of the conversations.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/palin_playing_it_safe

---

Obama, Biden, Hillary and all dems campaigning of behalf of Obama should be flushing her out, mentioning this in their speeches EVERYDAY.

No free passes. NO free passes. NO free passes.

[firedupdem]

27. Agree 100% ! This is so unacceptable and it's being

rammed down our throats! I've even memorized her garbage speech and I'm running to find the remote every time it comes on. Why are people lining up to hear this vile crap?

[npk]

28. How lovely.

Apparently they don't feel the need to answer any questions from potential voters either. I guess they have done all the talking they plan to do. As far as McCain and Palin are concerned we could just hold the election tomorrow. In fact they would probably prefer that.

[muriel_volestrangler]

29. Time for someone to start turning up to her appearances in a chicken suit

it won't matter if they won't let you in - as long as the TV cameras see it. In fact, not letting you in just makes the point more: she's chicken about facing interviews, and she's chicken about facing any kind of criticism.